Day two back in the West. PDX is home to massive tribe of fix. Yesterday’s discussion centered on new law here that mandates that fix have a hand-controlled brake. If you haven’t come across this thread before: a PDX woman received a citation after an accident for failing to have a brake. She appealed and lost again. In court. PDX enacted a law effectively making it a moving violation to operate a bicycle without a brake. [not sure how this affects a coaster brake...] Many of my local friends are telling stories about local track bike aficionados getting tickets.
As far as where I line up:
1. You are responsible for the safety of others, if you can’t control your bike at all times without a brake, you should get one.
2. I have one on both my fix at the moment.
3. There is no ideological higher ground in my world for brakeless riding. That ethereal place vanished the first time my chain fell off on a fix.
4. Ride the way you want, respect the safety of everyone….not just yourself.
[open debate breaks out in the coffee shop....brake parts are thrown....]
…stay tuned…
G
I’m taking CJ’s fix to Burning Man. At least I hope he lets me. I’m on the plane today at 300pm.
So sorry for the neglect I’ve given this page lately. New job, the CD, blah blah. I should have the refresh to
www.gonterian.com right after I return from the west. You’ll be able to get the liner notes, cover art [if you already have the music] as well as be able to finally purchase the CD direct from the site. 3.5 years and it’s finally done.
I’ve noticed that fixing has become like tele-skiing….everybody does it. Not that that makes it uncool now, it’s just that when everyone starts doing it….some people start to get a ‘tude about it. Well, that’s really been true for a long time with some fixers, but now more than ever I notice it. Lectures I get from 20-somethings when I ask about their bike. They answer like I wouldn’t know. I just play dumb and say….”oh, yeah….thanks for telling me about all this….”.
At least they are in to it. Now if they’d only realize they didn’t invent it and are not the thought-leaders of the fix-world….HA!
I’m out. Sorry it’s been so long….now it’ll probably be another month before I can write again….poor me.
Over and Out
G:5
Look out 97701, I’m baaaaaaaaaaack!